NFL Week 8: Ty Montgomery’s miscue costly for Packers

The final week of October is in the books for the 2018 NFL season and one thing remains certain. The Rams are the cream of the crop in the NFC and likely the entire league. However, they got a little help this week when Ty Montgomery’s gaff sealed the win for the Rams. In the same contest, a seldom targeted receiver came up big to make the difference. In our best from the week, one of the premier players in the past turns back the clock against the Giants.

Packer fans were gearing up for another Aaron Rodgers 2 minute drill…. then this happened

Sound and Fury

In Los Angeles, all eyes were on the big names such as Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff and Todd Gurley, but in a game decided by two points, it was Rams’ second year wide receiver Josh Reynolds who came up large. He had just four receptions this season and 15 for his career entering play. While his three receptions for 42 yards doesn’t open eyes, his two touchdowns were huge. His first came with 21 seconds left in the half to pull the Rams within two. The second came from 19 yards out and gave Los Angeles a 10-point cushion with 1:50 to play in the third quarter. The future for Reynolds is uncertain, but on this Sunday, he came up big for the top team in the NFC.

WTF Moment

This moment again comes from the Packers-Rams showdown. After giving the Rams all they could handle all afternoon, the Rams pulled ahead by two on a Greg Zuerlein 34 yard field goal with 2:05 remaining. This gave Aaron Rodgers plenty of time to a potential game winning field goal, but then the unthinkable happened. Zuerlein’s kickoff travels two yards deep into the end zone where surely Ty Montgomery will down it. First and ten for Green Bay at the 25 needing only about 40 yards for a potential game winning field goal. But no, inexplicably Montgomery goes for the return, coughs up the ball on the 21 yard line, forced by and recovered by the Rams’ Ramik Wilson. The Rams run out the clock and improve to 8-0. This clearly is the WTF moment of the week.

Revenge Game

After the “miracle in Minnesota” where the Vikings won on a last second catch and scamper down the sideline by Stefon Diggs in last season’s NFC Divisional Playoffs, the Saints looked for revenge. After an even opening quarter and 17-13 Saints lead at the half, New Orleans took over in the third, building a 27-13 lead after three. A key play in the contest was a 45 yard interception return for a touchdown by Saints’ P.J. WIlliams. Although the Vikings out gained the Saints 440-270 and held Drew Brews to 120 yards on 23 attempts, the Saints got the last laugh with a 30-23 road victory. Don’t be surprised to see another meeting in January between two of the top teams in the NFC.

Best of the week

After rushing for just over 600 yards over the past 13 games covering two season, many felt Adrian Peterson had little left in the tank. This season and particularly Sunday’s game against the Giants proved people wrong. Peterson rushed for 149 yards on 26 carries including a 64 yard touchdown late to secure a 20-13 win over the Giants. With the win, the Redskins remain in first place in the NFC East at 5-2.

Right behind the Redskins are the Eagles, who have looked like anything but defending Super Bowl champs to this point. However, quarterback Carson Wentz kept them in the hunt with a win against the Jaguars.. After a slow start in which he turned the ball over in each of the first two possessions, Wentz finished with 70 percent completion for 286 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-18 win. Coming off a devastating knee injury last December, Wentz has been remarkable, throwing for nearly 300 yards per game on 71 percent completion with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Just when you think you have seen it all from Kareem Hunt, he does something else to amaze. While the Broncos limited Hunt to 50 yards on 16 carries on the ground, he found a way to hurt them in the passing game. He caught a shovel pass at the Broncos 23, eluding a few tackles hurdled a defender at the seven and dragged another defender the final four yards into the end zone. The score put the Chiefs up 30-14, en route to a 30-23 victory.